Roller mill

Claim 2

An upright roller mill supported on a mill foundation which comprises: (a) a frame having an upper housing portion and a lower base portion, said frame positioned on the mill foundation; (b) a horizontally rotatable grinding table disposed in said frame and having a generally endless grinding path having a generally concave cross sectional configuration on the upper side thereof for grinding materials; (c) drive means positioned generally centrally beneath said grinding table for rotation thereof; (d) at least three upright vertical support members positioned generally beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and approximately equally spaced from each other for supporting said grinding table and for transmitting grinding pressures and vibrations from said grinding table downward directly to the foundation while substantially avoiding transmission of the pressures and the vibrations to said drive means; (e) individual arcuate bearing means mounted at the top of each upright support member; and (f) slide shoe bearing means fixedly mounted on each of said individual arcuate bearing means, each slide shoe bearing means defining an upper slide surface positioned generally beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and in contacting relation with the underside thereof for slidably rotatably supporting said grinding table such that said slide shoe bearing means and arcuate bearing means cooperate to permit flexing of said grinding table during rotation thereof.

Claim 3

A vertical roller mill according to claim 1 wherein said vertical upright support members are constructed of a metal material.

Claim 4

A vertical roller mill according to claim 1 wherein said vertical upright support members are constructed of concrete.

Claim 5

A vertical roller mill according to claim 1 which further comprises an annular top plate positioned top of said upright support members and supporting said arcuate bearing means and an annular bottom plate positioned on the mill foundation below said upright support members.

Claim 6

A vertical roller mill according to claim 4 wherein said upper housing portion of said frame defines a grinding chamber which has at least one opening communicating with said lower base portion of said frame for the passage of air therethrough.

Claim 7

A vertical roller mill according to claim 5 wherein each of said upright support members is columnar.

Claim 8

A vertical roller mill according to claim 6 wherein each of said vertical support columns is equidistantly positioned about the circumference of a circle whose diameter is approximately equal to the diameter of the grinding path of said grinding table.

Claim 9

A vertical roller mill resting on a mill foundation which comprises: (a) a frame having an upper housing portion defining a grinding chamber, a lower base portion supporting said housing, said grinding chamber having at least one opening communicating with said lower base portion for ventilation, said frame positioned on and supported by the mill foundation; (b) a horizontally rotatable grinding table disposed within said frame and having a furrowed circular grinding path in said grinding chamber; (c) at least one grinding wheel positioned for rotation on said grinding table and positioned at least partially within said grinding path for grinding raw materials between said grinding path and the grinding wheel as said grinding table is rotated; (d) a driving mechanism positioned generally centrally beneath said grinding table for rotation of said grinding table and supported on said mill foundation, said driving mechanism including a generally centrally located vertical drive shaft, a flexible clutch and spherical roller bearings; (e) at least three upright vertical support members positioned beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and approximately equally spaced from each other for supporting said grinding table and for transmitting grinding pressures and vibrations from said grinding table directly downward to the mill foundation while substantially avoiding transmission of the pressures and the vibrations to said driving mechanism, said enclosure having at least one arched opening to provide access to said drive mechanism to facilitate inspection and maintenance thereof; and (f) a slide shoe bearing fixedly mounted at the top of each upright support member and having a slide surface for slidably rotatably supporting said grinding table, each slide shoe bearing having a spherical bearing member positioned therein to support said grinding table while permitting twisting and rotational motions due to flexing of mill components.

Claim 10

A vertical roller mill resting on a mill foundation which comprises: (a) a frame having an upper housing portion defining a grinding chamber, a lower base portion supporting said housing, said grinding chamber having at least one opening communicating with said lower base portion for ventilation, said frame positioned on and supported by the mill foundation; (b) a horizontally rotatable grinding table disposed within said frame and having a furrowed circular grinding path in said grinding chamber; (c) at least one grinding wheel positioned for rotation on said grinding table and positioned at least partially within said grinding path for grinding raw materials between said grinding path and the grinding wheel as said grinding table is rotated; (d) a driving mechanism positioned generally centrally beneath said grinding table for rotation of said grinding table and supported on said mill foundation, said driving mechanism including a generally centrally located vertical drive shaft, a flexible clutch and spherical roller bearings; (e) at least three upright vertical support members positioned beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and approximately equally spaced from each other for supporting said grinding table and for transmitting grinding pressures and vibrations from said grinding table directly downward to the mill foundation while substantially avoiding transmission of the pressures and the vibrations to said driving mechanism, said enclosure having at least one arched opening to provide access to said drive mechanism to facilitate inspection and maintenance thereof; and (f) a slide shoe bearing fixedly mounted at the top of each upright support member and having a slide surface for slidably rotatably supporting said grinding table, each slide shoe bearing having a spherical bearing member positioned therein to support said grinding table while permitting twisting and rotational motions due to flexing of mill components.

Claim 11

A vertical roller mill supported on a mill foundation which comprises: (a) a mill frame having an upper hexagonal housing portion defining a grinding chamber, a lower base portion supporting said housing, said grinding chamber having at least one opening communicating with said lower base portion for ventilation, said frame positioned on and supported by the mill foundation; (b) a horizontally rotatable grinding table disposed within said frame and having a furrowed circular grinding path in said grinding chamber; (c) at least three grinding wheels positioned for rotation on said grinding table and positioned at least partially within said grinding path for grinding raw materials between said grinding path and said grinding wheels as said grinding table is rotated; (d) a driving mechanism positioned generally centrally beneath said grinding table for rotation of said grinding table and supported on said mill foundation, said driving mechanism including a centrally located vertical drive shaft, a flexible clutch and spherical roller bearings; (e) at least three spaced apart vertical columnar support members each of which is positioned generally centrally beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and approximately equally spaced from each other to support said grinding table and to transmit grinding pressures and vibrations from said grinding table directly downward to the mill foundation while substantially avoiding transmission of the pressures and the vibrations to said driving mechanism; and (f) at least three slide shoe bearings, each bearing being mounted at the top of each of said vertical columnar support members and disposed between the respective vertical columnar support member and the grinding table and having a slide surface beneath the grinding path for rotatably supporting said grinding table, each slide shoe bearing having a spherical bearing member positioned therein to support said grinding table while permitting twisting and rotational motion due to flexing of movable mill components.

Claim 12

A vertical roller mill supported on a mill foundation which comprises: (a) a mill frame having an upper hexagonal housing portion defining a grinding chamber, a lower base portion supporting said housing, said grinding chamber having at least one opening communicating with said lower base portion for ventilation, said frame positioned on and supported by the mill foundation; (b) a horizontally rotatable grinding table disposed within said frame and having a furrowed circular grinding path in said grinding chamber; (c) at least three grinding wheels positioned for rotation on said grinding table and positioned at least partially within said grinding path for grinding raw materials between said grinding path and said grinding wheels as said grinding table is rotated; (d) a driving mechanism positioned generally centrally beneath said grinding table for rotation of said grinding table and supported on said mill foundation, said driving mechanism including a centrally located vertical drive shaft, a flexible clutch and spherical roller bearings; (e) at least three spaced apart vertical columnar support members each of which is positioned generally centrally beneath the grinding path of said grinding table and approximately equally spaced from each other to support said grinding table and to transmit grinding pressures and vibrations from said grinding table directly downward to the mill foundation while substantially avoiding transmission of the pressures and the vibrations to said driving mechanism; and (f) at least three slide shoe bearings, each bearing being mounted at the top of each of said vertical columnar support members and disposed between the respective vertical columnar support member and the grinding table and having a slide surface beneath the grinding path for rotatably supporting said grinding table, each slide shoe bearing having a spherical bearing member positioned therein to support said grinding table while permitting twisting and rotational motion due to flexing of movable mill components.